Day Trip to Switzerland!

Over President's Day weekend we ventured to Switzerland for a tour of a Chocolate Factory and the town of Lugano. Since we had driven thru Switzerland on our way back from Paris over Christmas I was good with saying that we had been to Switzerland. However, Clark was adament about going on this trip, and since there were a few neighbors going with their kids, it made me feel better that my child wouldn't disrupt the whole bus! Our neighbor Diane is SO great with all the kids....Luke sat on her lap for the longest time before giving in to sleep!! :) Then of course not to long into his sweet dreams the bus stopped for a break!!! It was a fun trip, and we came home with some yummy liquor, chocolate, and chocolate with liquor in it! LOL

Our first stop was the Chocolate Factory. It was supposed to be a guided tour of the factory, but since it was Saturday the factory wasn't in production. Oh well we enjoyed sampling the chocolate anyway, and we bought enough to bring back to last us awhile!!

Luke and Mason milking the cow!

Our next stop was to the heart of the city to have free time for the rest of the afternoon. We walked around and then found a nice Italian reseraunt to stop and have lunch at. Yeah go figure that we go to Switzerland to eat Italian. We were all starving and it looked like a nice place to eat. Which it was and the food was good, but the waiter was R-U-D-E!! :( Then he thought he would ask Clark for a tip.....BBBBAAAAAAAAA The city itself was very pretty and quaint....certainly a beautiful place to settle down in!! We stopped in a store that sold wines and liquor and had some samples before buying a couple bottles to bring home!

I can't write a blog without giving you a little history lesson!! Lugano Switzerland is the biggest city in Ticino, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. It lies on Lake Lugano, and is surrounded by mountains, including Monte Bre, Monte San Salvatore and the Sighignola. The name of the city comes from the Latin "Lucas" meaning sacred forest. The weather is perfect with mild winters and warm summers. The city seems to be a huge attraction to many celebraties, entertainers, and big name athletes, whom have dubbed Lugano as the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland."

I am glad that we made the trip, as much as I hate taking Luke on a bus for such a long time. It was a long day, but we can now say we have been to the beautiful country of Switzerland! With only 17 months left of our European adventure we have to take advantage of all the trips we can!!

The journey not the arrival matters." -- T. S. Eliot